-6th Day of the New Moon
in late February to early March The festival of Elaphebolia,
in honour of Artemis the Deer Shooter. Stags and cakes in the shape
of stags made of honey and sesame seeds were offered to Her. the
entire lunar cycle this festival falls in was once the Athenian month
of Elaphebolion, and was wholly dedicated to Artemis.-6th Day of the New Moon
in late August to early September The festival of Kharisteria
'Thanksgiving', in honour of Artemis Agrotera. This month was called
Boedromion 'running for help.'-Full Moon in late March
to early April This was a particularly
elaborate festival, which seems to contain elements of the rites held in
honour of the Thracian Moon Goddess Bendis. Young girls referred
to as Arkteia who had lived in the Temple of Artemis during the summer
were
dressed in saffron couloured tunics and leaf crowns, and carried
torches or twigs in a great procession. They then passed into the temple
of Artemis, where they were said to 'play at being she bears.' Other ceremonies
gave thanks to Artemis for providing game animals. Sacrifices consisted
of palm leaves and a female goat, either real or an appropriately
shaped cake.-May 30 (approximate) Great Full Moon festival,
honouring Artemis as the Moon Goddess and Lady of the Beasts.-Full Moon in August Feast day of Artemis.-November 22 The Sun enters the
constellation of the archer.-New Moon in June-July7th day of Thargelion,
festival of Thargelia, birthday of Artemis. It celebrated her as forest
and Moon Goddess, protector of new growth.

Lesser Festivals

-6th Day of Each New Moon These were celebrations
of the fierce energy of new life, represented by the now reborn Moon.-Full Moon Celebrations These were popular
all over Greece until late historical times. They were celebrated
with the forerunners of birthday cakes full of lit candles called
Amphiphontes 'shining all round,' and the surrender of Her
worshippers to her power in the forest. There, they would make love
without concern for the bonds of marriage or conscious considerations,
only the presence or absence of instinctive attraction.-Ides were the three
day period of the dark Moon, when rituals were performedto ensure the Goddess'
safe return from the underworld.- Herois 'feast of the
Heroine' when the spirit of the Heroine was calledfrom the temple Omphalos
at the Artemisium of Troezen.

BIRTHPLACES SUGGESTED
FOR ARTEMIS:1. Delos, which falls on
the same latitude as Mileta, Didyma, and Therea. Directly opposite
of Delos os Hierapolis, 'city of priestesses.'2. A cavern at the foot
of a mountain near Ephesus, which may in fact be the birthplace of Leto.
Leto was often confused with Artemis by newer arrivals like the Greeks,
since both Godesses dealt with instinct and natural law. The
cavern itself seems to have been called Ortygia, bit this name has
also been applied to an island.3. The shores of Lake Tritonis,
similar to Athena, although the latter was said to have actually
been born in the lake. the lake was actually in Libya. Both
Artemis and Athena were patron goddesses of the Amazons, so the idea
is not an entirely groundless one.

PARENTAGE:Artemis is far too old
a Goddess to be a daughter of Zeus, as Ancient Greek writers liked to claim.
The Goddess most often named as her mother was Leto, originally named Eni
Mahanahi and alsovery ancient. Both have
Anatolian roots that stretch back to the Neolithic. Leto may have been
the Goddess of Ephesus, although it is difficult to specify from
patriarchal records or the Amazons, who came from many places and worshipped
warlike aspects of many Goddesses.In any case, if Artemis
were the daughter of Leto, then she would probably be a parthenogenetic
one, or a Leto herself as a youth. The connection to Zeus is a late addition
who began as a minor vegetation deity.Another story told was
that Despoena was the youngerArtemis, daughter of Demeter
and Poseidon. Poseidon is not the father of either Goddess, and the
story proved highly unpopular.A far better candidate
for Artemis' mother is Themis, as explained in the main section.

GODDESSES SIMILAR TO
ARTEMIS:Diana or Dea Anna of Ephesus
and Latium, itself named for Leto; Ma Tau P'o; Ma of Cappadocia +and Caria;
Hipta of Lydia; Agdestis; Ortheia of Sparta; Bendis of Lemnia; Uma(Umi)
of India;Atalanta of Arcadia; Kallisto
of Arcadia; Egeria of Nemo; Chione of Thrace; Carya of Southern Laconia;
Eukleia; Leukippe; Niobe; Britomartis of Crete; Diktynna of Crete; Phylonoe;
the Telchines